A flare up in the Middle East

Thursday, 18 April 2024 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

How will our electric vehicles run and what will be the plight of the low income groups?

By S.P.U.S. Wickramasinghe

The Middle East may flare up, what with everybody coming out with their armaments.

Sri Lanka purchased oil from Iran. It is said that the refinery is designed to handle crude oil from Iran. Iran is getting involved with the Middle East tension.

If that happens, where will we be? How will our electric vehicles run and what will be the plight of the low income groups?

Just like the electronic camera, it was the US that manufactured the first electric car. Just like the electronic camera, the manufacturers of the electric car killed it. The product was bought by far thinking Eastern gentry.

Years later, after Joe Biden became the US President, the American Government pushed the production sale and the use of electric cars. They could afford to, after all they have oil, gas and nuclear energy. Our Government went on a mad spree to encourage electric vehicles, while they severed the supply of electricity to the low income families.

If the Middle East erupts, what is going to be our plight? Pray?

The solution that our leaders and our chemical engineers forgot was that, with the resources that we had, the country could have gone for production of Butyl alcohol, which is reported to be superior petrol, and can be used in diesel engines too.

China is projected to manufacture 100 million tons of Butyl alcohol, as they do not have sources of crude oil. A by-product in the production of Butyl alcohol is the production of Hydrogen gas. Hydrogen gas is used to propel vehicles in place of petrol and also used in fuel cells to generate electricity. China is said to supply nearly 10% of the world’s requirement of fuel cells.

Production of Butyl alcohol is complicated and costly. I have submitted a blueprint for the production of Butyl alcohol to people who can refine it. It needs refining – accepted. I do not know it all.

We have the raw materials to produce Butyl alcohol. Why doesn’t the University Grants Commission (UGC) push its specialists – Chemical Engineers, Botanists, Analytical Chemists and Process Designers to develop this industry? After all, the country has an Institute for Inventors.

If the Government is interested the raw material base could be developed in four years at most but must start now.

Over to you UGC Chairman, Secretary Finance. If you cannot find the specialists in Sri Lanka, why not encourage a university involved to set up a research base here?

Or is it going to be I know it all but will do nothing.

(The writer could be reached via email at [email protected].)